The new Grand Canyon University Hotel is scheduled to welcome its first guests Monday, and general manager Brett Cortright has gone to great lengths to make it a welcoming place. No detail is too small, but there’s one very big attraction — the price. It’s only $69 a night for a regular room, $74 for a suite.

By Aysha Bell GCU Career Services How would it feel to come to work inspired, engaged and truly excited by your job on a daily basis? You may think it sounds like a dream. However, I can attest it doesn’t have to be just a dream. You can take steps to ensure you’re in a career you enjoy by discovering and utilizing your strengths. People who are aware of and utilize their best attributes at work are more engaged, have more fun and are ultimately more successful in their careers. The old adage is true: Do what you love and the money will follow. Success doesn’t happen just because you’re doing what you love. When you love what you do, you work harder and are generally better at it – which leads to results! So how do you figure out your strengths? Think about times when you have truly enjoyed working, volunteering or completing class projects. What skills did you use to finish those tasks? In the GCU Career Services office we offer instruments to assist alumni with finding their purpose. Check our Career Compass and Bridge My Career tools to help you along the path. GCU Career Services is […]

The 21st annual Back to School Clothing Drive will wrap up Thursday at GCU as more than 5,000 underprivileged Valley elementary school students received free clothes and school supplies through the nonprofits massive volunteer operation. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey joined the event this morning, helping kids to pick out some fresh threads that suit them for the upcoming school year. GCU Today has more about the governor’s visit and the event’s impact on helping children see what higher education looks like.

Eight members of Grand Canyon University’s chapter of the AzHOSA health care professions organization are off to Anaheim, Calif., today to compete in HOSA’s 38th annual National Leadership Conference, where they will face some of the top students of pre-med and other health care undergraduate programs from around the U.S.

Claude Pensis, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Productions, Bill Symington, assistant dean and stage designer, and Michael Kary, assistant professor and play director, have put GCU on the map for collegiate theatre in the West Valley, but Pensis et. al. may have outdone themselves with this year’s Ethington Theatre lineup, which has something everyone can enjoy. From Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss, every play in the 2015-16 series is a must-see according to Pensis. And with a stage and costume design plan that is expected to be one of the biggest in University history, we couldn’t agree more. “We’re going to have fun with the plays. It’s going to be an adventure for the actors, directors and the audiences,” Pensis said.

Dr. Melanie D. Logue, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, is joining the 11-member Arizona State Board of Nursing. Gov. Doug Ducey recently appointed Logue, a GCU alumna who has 25 years of nursing practice and education under her belt, to a five-year term. GCU Today has the details.

By Marette Hahn GCU Career Services At Grand Canyon University, Career Services aims to connect alumni and students to their goals in a variety of ways – academically, socially, spiritually and professionally. Career Services’ newest online tool, Career Connections, was designed to do just that. It’s a comprehensive career management tool that enables users to create personal and academic profiles, as well as search and apply for full-time, part-time and internship positions with GCU partners. It also allows for alumni and students to create and update their resumes, practice video interviewing and receive feedback. Alumni also may schedule appointments with career advisors through Career Connections. This new resource bolsters Career Services’ already dynamic lineup of online tools including Career Compass, used for career assessment, and two innovative job search tools – GoinGlobal and Bridgemycareer. GoinGlobal is a comprehensive career, living and cultural exploration tool for people looking for jobs in major metropolitan cities around the country and the world. Bridgemycareer helps employers find alumni and students with specific personalities to meet their hiring needs. Alumni and students are always welcome to schedule one-on-one appointments with career advisors to review their resumes, practice interviewing and discuss career ideas and opportunities. GCU […]

By GCU News Bureau Grand Canyon University’s rise in NCAA Division I athletics was further entrenched Wednesday with three major announcements surrounding the program. Men’s basketball coach Dan Majerle and baseball coach Andy Stankiewicz each received new four-year contracts, while the University also signed a five-year deal with apparel and footwear giant Nike. “We want to be a top-25 program in everything we do, and these contracts are an example ofthat,” said Mike Vaught, vice president of athletics at GCU. “Dan Majerle and Andy Stankiewicz are perfect examples of what it means to strive for excellence — both have already built established programs in our second year of transition to Division I. In addition, Nike is the gold standard when it comes to apparel and footwear. We are partnering with a brand that has worldwide appeal and credibility.” Majerle and Stankiewicz had contracts that ran through the 2017-18 season. Those were replaced by new four-year deals that run through 2019. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Vaught said both will become the highest-paid coaches in the Western Athletic Conference in their sports and among the upper end of coaches from mid-major conferences. Their contract extensions follow a series of high-profile […]

Story by Janie Magruder Photos by Tyler McDonald In her communications courses at Grand Canyon University, alumna Lisa Cass learned one of the cardinal rules of being a journalist: There’s no question too dumb to ask. It’s a lesson that came in handy this school year when Cass decided to find out whether her alma mater had any computers it no longer needed. GCU did, much to her delight and that of 100 beginning and advanced journalism students at Independence High in Glendale who sometimes spent more time waiting for their computers to boot and less time learning than Cass would have liked. Her classroom now is outfitted with 35 Dell computers and monitors that hum right along. The equipment was donated by GCU in February and the final student project was saved Wednesday on the last day of school. Junior Julianna Cortez, who has taken Cass’ journalism classes for three years, said the donation has improved the school work of her and 34 classmates, and benefited the writing, photography, editing and design of the school’s newspaper, Patriot Glory. Software, including InDesign, is giving students new experiences in creating a variety of pages. “The computers run faster, so we’re able to get more things […]

GCU Today Magazine A group of health care professionals who studied together at Grand Canyon University before going to medical school traveled to western Uganda last year to bring medical care and God’s love to people for whom modern necessities are scarce. Among them were Dr. David Engstrom and his wife, Jamie, a physician’s assistant, who operate Pinnacle Family Medicine in Litchfield Park, Drs. Nicole and Brent Nedella, Courtney Mitchell and Stephanie Bradley, all GCU alumni. (Photos courtesy of the Nedella family)